Machinery for preparing clay



(No lutlodel.)

' A. A. BENNETT.

MACHINERY FOR PRBPARING G LAY. No. 425,729. Patented 15,1890.

WITNESSES 7E- 7.2; IN1/mm3 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR A. BENNETT, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

MACHINERY FOR PREPARING CLAY.

lSPECJCEICATIQN' forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,729, dated April 15, 1890.

Application led November 19, 1889. Serial No. 330.926. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. BENNETT, of Jackson, in the county of Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machinery for Preparing Clay for Working in Clay-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention applies to the means employed for removing the clay from the bottom of the wet-pan, in which it is prepared for making into tile.

In the practical operation of these machines considerable labor is involved in the work of removing the Wet clay from the bottom of the pan. This has been done generally by a shovel operated by hand and requires a strong man for carrying on the work. Attempts have'been made for removing the clay by mechanical appliances, but those heretofore attempted have not been satisfactory.

In the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of the wet-pan, and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 3 is a section showing the detent for coniining the shovel.

The same letters'fare employed in all the ligures in the designation of identical parts.

A is the wet-pan, which is a revolving pan with a iiat bottom and a vertical rim, Awhich is rotated by bevel-gear B, communicating to the pan, say, forty to fifty revolutions per minute. y l

C is a bar extending across the frame above the pan and carries two wheels D D, which rotate with the revolution of the pan, working the clay into proper consistency for being worked in the press or other machine. The

' rotation of the pan .employed by the centrifugal action creates a tendency for the plastic clay to move toward the rim of the pan; but it is common to add scrapers to give outward and central direction to the clay.

Eis amold-board having a handle E. This mold-board is made of iron or steel, preferably in two pieces united by rivets or bolts,

^ forming, however, when united, a single piece.

,This mold-board is, say, two and one-half inches wide at the point, graduallyincreasing in width at the upper end, where it is about five inches wide. It is twisted about a quarter-turn. Som ewhat less of the motion of .pan is the outer side.

the pan is slow, so that while the point lies iiat near or upon the botto-1n the upper end stands vertical, the side being graduallyv turned up from a horizontal to a vertical position.

The mold-board is attached to a slotted beam F, secured to the frame in an inclined position, the upper end of the mold-board being received in the slot, up which it may be raised to adj ust the position of the point according to the depth of the bed of clay in the pan. 'A latch Gr is attached by a hinge-joint to the handle end of the mold-board in a position to be readily grasped by one holding the handle, and the catch of the latch is made with a beveled face like that of a night-latch and is engaged in notches F', formed in the beam F along the side of the slot. These notches are also beveled upon their lower faces, so that the mold-board may be pushed down readily without interruption by the latch, while the vertical face of the latch, en countering the vertical face of the notch, Will prevent the mold-board from being forced up by the pressure of the clay. By this means it is only necessary for the operator to force down the mold-board to the proper depth, when the latch will hold it down. When' the mold-board is pulled entirely up out of the pan, it maybe held up by a hook or bolt. The point rests near the bottom of the wet-pan when in operation and its outer edge is placed close to the rim. The inner edge of the moldboard is turned gradually from a horizontal to a vertical position, so as to form an inner side of a trough of which the rim of the Wet- The inner side of the mold-board gradually approaches the verticalrim, so that as the clay is caught up from the bottom by the point of the mold-board it will be made by the rotation of the pan to travel up the slope of the mold-board, and will at the same time be directed outwardly by the curve of the inner side of the mold-board until, reaching the top of the 4rim of the wetpan, the clay will be discharged over the edge of the rim, falling into a hopper or other receptacle.' By this means the work of clearing is very greatly facilitated, and the expense of operating the machine considerably reduced, as the mold-board may be readily operated IOO an adjustable mold-board E, a beanr F5 and a latch G, substantially asset forth. 1 15 3. In combination with the 'revolving wetpan, an adjustable mold-board E, and a slotted beam F, constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I- have hereunto set zo my hand in the presence of two attestingr witnesses. l

- ARTHUR A. BENNETT. Witnesses:

H. R. HALL, j CoRA L. BEAMIsH. 

